Our Canada based Law Firm is staffed with more than 25 licensed lawyers, licensed immigration consultants and technical personnel. Our firm represents international celebrities in the fashion industry and performing arts as well as some of North America’s largest corporations in their immigration and staffing projects.

An Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is a new requirement for foreign nationals from visa-exempt countries arriving in Canada by air, whether to visit the country directly or to pass through in transit.

The Government tabled the 2014 Budget on February 11, 2014. It contained a number of immigration-related announcements. This Operational Bulletin (OB) provides approved standard texts that officers must use for communicating with:

Applicants

Immigration representatives and,

Investment facilitators

This communication would pertain to applications in the:

Federal Immigrant Investor Program (IIP) and,

Federal Entrepreneur Program (EN)

Background

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) issued OB 566 on February 12, 2014. This Operational Bulletin clarified the immediate implications of the immigration-related announcements contained within Budget 2014 for processing federal applications under the:

Immigrant Investor Program and,

Entrepreneur Program

Under OB 566, CIC instructed officers to process federal Immigrant Investor Program and Entrepreneur Program applications as per routine office procedures. CIC also stated that it would publish further instructions concerning the applications under the:

Federal Immigrant Investor Program and

Federal Entrepreneur Program

OB 566 further stated that CIC would provide standardised communication lines to respond to clients and stakeholders. This included standardised text advising clients of:

The proposed changes in the Budget and,

The effect of these changes on the client’s applications

Therefore, officers needed to await the arrival of these products. They would respond to client queries only after receiving these approved texts.

This OB contains the instructions to officers for using the approved standard texts that advise clients of:

The proposed changes in the Budget and,

The effect of these changes on the client’s applications

Processing Instructions

Currently, officers need to process federal Immigrant Investor Program and Entrepreneur Program applications as per routine office procedures. Officers would need to ensure that they process these applications according to:

Current work plans that are,

Based on previously assigned targets

Visa offices would need to continue to make selection decisions and process applications based on:

The work plan of each office and,

The manner in which they need to meet the targets for 2014 within the previously established timeframes

CIC has developed approved standard texts that officers would need to use in light of the Budget announcements. These would help officers in communicating with:

Applicants

Immigration representatives and,

Investment facilitators

Officers would need to incorporate the first text immediately into all correspondence with applicants in the federal IIP and EN. Similarly, they would need to use the other texts when responding to enquiries from:

Applicants

Immigration representatives and,

Investment facilitators

The standard texts do not address all the concerns that applicants could have. Additionally, CIC would not be able to confirm which applications the 2014 Budget proposal would affect. This would remain the status until the 2014 Budget proposal becomes a law. In this scenario, officers would need to direct enquiries to the CIC website from all:

Applicants

Immigration representatives and,

Investment facilitators

CIC would post all updated information on their website, as and when it becomes available.

In this light, applicants must follow any instructions provided by visa officers, concerning their applications. CIC would publish further instructions concerning the federal Immigrant Investor Program and Entrepreneur Program applications affected by the Budget announcement.

Officers must refer any enquiries from the media to CIC Media Relations.